Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, del Rio Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
21,925 games: White 51.0% / Draw 2.9% / Black 46.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 12,22812K | ||
| 4,2294,229 | ||
| 1,4121,412 | ||
| 1,2671,267 | ||
| 840840 | ||
| 751751 | ||
| 506506 | ||
| 179179 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.76 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 47.6% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 6... Nf6 7. Nf7 Qe7 8. Nxh8 Bxe6 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. Bb5 O-O-O 11. Bxc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, del Rio Attack (ECO C41, Open Games) is a gambit in the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. dxe5 fxe4 5. Ng5 d5 6. e6 (6 moves).
In 21,925 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.0%, Black 46.2% and 2.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nh6, in 56% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Berger Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, del Rio Attack
6…Bc5 scores best for Black: 55.6%, with Black winning 54.0% and White 42.7% of 4,229 games. The most played, 6…Nh6, scores 50.2% in 12K games, and 6…Be7 scores lowest: 17.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…Nf6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, del Rio Attack (C41)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-philidor-countergambit-del-rio-attack